Fever
by Youngsoul
Summary: Natsu and Gray are going on a mission, but Natsu collapses from an illness. Can Gray get him back home before it's too late? Very slight Gray/Natsu
1. Chapter 1

**I'm sorry that I haven't been writing Lost and Found. I just don't really know how to continue it! But I will... some day?**

**Anyways, this is the only story that has an ending. (I'm proud of it!) It's not as good as Lost and Found because I didn't really think that I would put it in here... ever. I just wrote it to myself.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

It was a rare combination that it was just me and Natsu, but Lucy, Erza and Happy were on a mission together and Natsu wasn't allowed to do this mission alone. The blue cat usually stuck with Natsu, but this time the two girls were passing a great place to fish and the cat just couldn't miss that!

I had already noticed that Natsu wasn't okay when we left Magnolia. He looked tired and his breathing seemed deeper than usual.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked for the tenth time.

"Stop asking that! There's nothing wrong with me!" He answered a bit angrily. But he was lying. The longer we walked the louder his huffs became. Every time I glanced back at him, he looked more and more tired. "Natsu, we should really stop this mission. You're clearly not okay and I don't want you collapsing on me before we even reach the town." I didn't want to sound like he was a burden, but I had to do something.

He looked a bit offended before he suddenly dashed by me. He turned to look at me after he was much further and shouted:

"See? I'm fine! I've been through a lot worse! I promise that I won't be a burden to you!"

I sighed. I couldn't change his mind, no matter what.

It was almost night when we reached the town in the mountains.

Natsu had quickened his pace after he told me that he wouldn't be a burden to me but his plan backfired after his strength ran out much faster that way. Because of that he almost collapsed.

-Flashback-

Natsu's pace had gotten slower again and I guessed it was because his strength was running out. I slowed down my pace so he wouldn't notice how slow he was being.

Then suddenly, he stopped. I turned back to see why he wasn't walking.

"Natsu?" I asked but he didn't answer. He was looking at the ground and his eyes looked like they didn't see anything.

I walked right before him and noticed how his face was covered in sweat.

"Natsu!" I shouted and tried to shake him awake. His head lolled back and he was about to fall before he seemed to get a hold of himself again.

He panted and shook his head.

"I-It's nothing. I'm okay... I'm okay..." He said but I knew that he was lying. And he knew that he couldn't deny it for much longer. There really was something wrong about him.

Natsu just walked past me as quickly as he could manage and I turned to follow.

"Natsu, just tell me if you can't do this. We can contact the guild and ask someone else to do the mission." I knew that he wouldn't quit no matter what I said but I still had to try.

"No! I'll do this mission!" He said and we continued our way towards the town.

-Flashback end-

Natsu's face was pale and covered in sweat. He was panting loudly and I doubted that he could stay conscious for much longer. I took his hand and put it over my shoulders so I could support him.

"G-Gray...?" He asked weakly. He didn't even have the strength to lift his head anymore and I found myself wondering if he was only half-conscious anymore.

"It's okay. I'll take care of the rest." I said and after that he really fell unconscious. His body was completely limp and it was hard to support him anymore. I managed to lift him up to my back so carrying him would be easier.

I knew that Natsu's body-heat was hotter than an average human's but this was just ridiculous! His body felt like it was on fire. I wondered if my skin would last until I found us a place to stay for the night. I doubted that this town had any doctors for mages- moreover- for a Dragon Slayer. Natsu was special from any other mages.

I sprung into a dash and I soon found a tavern where we could stay.

The owner was shocked at first when I came inside, carrying an unconscious boy on my back, but when I explained what had happened she kindly offered us a room and called a doctor.

I had laid Natsu on one of the two beds, and soon an old doctor came in to our room to examine Natsu.

After a while of examining he stopped and gave a sigh.

"Do you know what's wrong with him?" I asked but the doctor shook his head.

"It seems like he's very exhausted for some reason and is developing a fever. But since I'm not a mage doctor I don't know the reason."

I knew it already that there was a limit of what this doctor could do. I didn't blame him, since it was very rare to find mage doctors anywhere.

"I'm sorry young lad. All I can do is give him some medicine. You should take him back to Magnolia to see the mage doctor there."

"I understand. But I don't remember telling you we were from Magnolia." The doctor gave a small grin.

"Even an old geezer like me knows Fairy Tail. Even the stories about the three Dragon Slayers have reached my ears too. Are you a friend with them?" I glanced at Natsu before answering.

"Yeah." The doctor seemed to follow my gaze to Natsu and understood right away.

"Is this boy a Dragon Slayer?" He said quite loudly.

"Yeah. That's why I am so worried about his condition. A mage doctor is rare but it's even rarer that any doctor would know about how to treat a Dragon Slayer."

"You're right. And I'm sorry that I can't help you any more than this. But I can tell that his condition is becoming worse. I don't know what the worst part of this illness is but I want you to be prepared for the worst." He said seriously. I gulped.

"You mean he could-...?

"Die. Yes. That isn't certain, but it might be the case."

I couldn't respond in any way.

The doctor left after giving various medicines. I walked over to the night stand and tried to remember how many pills Natsu had to take from each bottle and when. Then I glanced back at the sleeping boy.

"Seriously, you give me so much trouble..." I said but I didn't really mean it. What I really meant was that he should have told me that he felt sick before we even left. Now I felt a bit helpless. Right now I could only watch him sleep. But I swore to myself that I would take him back to Magnolia after resting for the night. The mission could wait until we got back and someone else would perform it instead of them.

I sat down on the other bed next to Natsu's and I silently continued to watch over him. I felt like I had to, like it was my duty. Maybe because I felt responsible for all of this.

With such thoughts running through my head, I somehow fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning with a sore hand from sleeping in a bad position. I stretched my arms and legs and let out a yawn.

The sunshine outside was so bright it was almost blinding so I shielded my eyes with my hand from it.

Then I remembered to look how Natsu was doing, but for my big surprise, he wasn't in the bed. The covers had been lifted and his sandals were gone.

"Damn it, Natsu!" I shouted and ran out of the room.

I searched and searched. Where the heck was he? He couldn't have gone far in his condition. That in mind, I ran.

I ran and ran. But no matter where I looked, I couldn't see him.

Then I stopped. Running around aimlessly wasn't going to do me any good. So I thought. Where would Natsu go to?

Then it came to me. To do the mission of course!

So I headed for the nearby woods to search for him.

I didn't have to go far when I found him. He was surrounded by two Gorians, and was clearly losing the fight.

"You aren't as strong as you said you were!" The other Gorian roared and jumped up and down.

"S-shut up! I'm strong! You just wait-!" Natsu shouted and was about to run towards them when he stopped. His body just seemed like it froze before his hands seemed to shake a bit and he collapsed.

"He's dead! He's dead!" The other Gorian rejoiced.

I ran to his side as fast as my legs would carry.

I flipped him over as he had fallen head first and checked his breathing. _'He's breathing..' _I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. Even though he was breathing, he didn't look too well. It seemed like his condition had gotten worse since yesterday and I knew that I had to take him back home as soon as I could.

"Another human! We're having a feast brother, a feast!" The Gorian shouted and the other one smirked.

"You take the unconscious one, I'll take the other!"

"No fair! I'd much rather want to play with it before it dies! That weak human is no fun!"

"You listen to your big brother now or you won't get anything!" The bigger Gorian said with slight annoyance in his voice.

"You're no fun!" The other said but still approached Natsu.

I was wondering if I could beat them both while protecting Natsu, but it seemed like I didn't have a choice.

I put Natsu down and stood before him.

"I won't let you get him."

**A/N: So, that was the first chapter! I hope you liked it! I know it has its flaws but bear with me. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The next chapter! Yes!**

**Enjoy!**

I had somehow managed to beat the Gorians and I was making my way back to the tavern. I had suffered some minor injuries but the pain didn't bother me. Right now the only thing I could feel was the heat was Natsu's body. It was so hot that I wanted to flinch away. But I knew that I couldn't leave him when he needed me the most.

–

The old woman in the tavern was very shocked again, but kindly called the doctor once again and helped me to take Natsu on the bed in our room.

I slumped down on the bed beside him. My wounds finally started to hurt. I noticed the gash on my arm was bleeding quite badly but the blood on my forehead had already dried. I had some other cuts and bruises too, but nothing serious. I had managed to avoid any broken bones, since I had to keep in mind that I would have to carry Natsu back to the tavern too.

The doctor arrived soon and tended my wounds and repeated the same words as yesterday. 'I can't help him.'

–

I was told to stay in the bed for a few days, but I knew that I couldn't do that. I had to take Natsu back to Magnolia, no matter what.

I still wondered how we would travel since I doubted that I could carry Natsu all the way back. I could always take the train, but Natsu's condition would only get worse if I did that.

But as I glanced back at Natsu, I knew what I had to do.

–

We left the small town the next dawn. I thanked the old lady in the tavern and paid for the room. She smiled and told me to have a safe journey.

Natsu's breathing was becoming uneven. He would slur something sometimes but I couldn't make any words out of it. Then he would just pass out again. I could feel his magical energy swaying. Sometimes I could barely feel it (and I would usually stop in worry to check if he was still breathing) and sometimes it felt so strong like it wanted to explode.

I reached the station and I decided that we should take a cabin in case Natsu's condition got worse.

Then the thing that I had feared the most happened. The pain came.

First it wasn't so bad, Natsu whimpered and clutched my shirt tightly. But I didn't know then that it was going to get a lot worse.

The train didn't take too long to arrive, but for Natsu, it probably felt like an eternity.

"Don't worry Natsu, I'm going to take you home now. It's alright, it's alright..." I continued to say to the younger boy even though I didn't even know if he could hear me.

The train left. I watched Natsu as his face was twisted in pain and sweat ran down his face and body. I didn't know what to do.

Then, Natsu's eyes opened slightly. They looked feverish. He looked so weak.  
>"...G-Gray..." He breathed out silently. He wasn't able to say anything else. His voice had been so pleading. Even though he just called my name it sounded like: 'It hurts...It hurts...! Gray...help me! Please! Take this pain away!'<p>

I knelt down before the boy and brushed his pink hair. I didn't know what else I could do. The medicines hadn't worked even though I had given all sorts of pills to him that morning. His fever wasn't going down. His pain grew worse. His magic was weakening...

I grabbed his hand and clutched it tightly in mine.

"Please...It's just for a little while longer... Try to stand it...!" I said to him.

His hot breath tickled my skin. His hand felt like it could burn mine. But I held it. I tried to cool my other hand and pressed it against Natsu's forehead. He shivered, but it seemed to help him somehow.

And hour went by. Then it happened.

"G-Gah! Aaargh! G-Gray!" He suddenly shouted and doubled over. He held his head tightly and started trashing while shouting.

"Natsu! Natsu!" I shouted and tried to hold him down. His trashing continued.

"It hurts! IT HURTS! AAGH!" He shouted. Tears fell from his eyes even though he kept them tightly shut.

My heart felt like it was about to die. I couldn't do anything.

"Natsu...!" I said and felt my tears fall too. Then I threw myself on Natsu's hot body. He tried to get away but he couldn't. Then I felt his nails dug into my back. It hurt. But Natsu concentrated all his remaining strength into his hands and his trashing stopped. I didn't move for a while. I felt Natsu's heart racing underneath me. Or maybe it was mine?

I moved away from him as his hands dropped. His eyes were slightly open. The tears had stopped running and I wiped the trails away from his face.

"Gray...I..." He tried to tell me something but he passed out before he could continue. I sighed. I was relieved that his pain was gone for a while.

But I still couldn't calm my racing heart. I could feel it. Natsu's life was like a thin thread that would snap soon. I didn't know what I should do. Even the slightest mistake could cost his life. I rested my forehead against my hands. _'I can't hesitate. Whether he lives or dies depends on me.'_

I felt the weight of his life on my shoulders. It was a heavy responsibility.

Then suddenly, I felt something on my head. I looked up to see Natsu's hand reaching out and on his face there was a smile. It wasn't as bright and strong as usual, but it was there after many days.

"Gray... I definitely won't die..." He said weakly, but it he tried to make his voice sound strong.

I took his hand in mine and held it. I managed to give him a small smile back and he managed to smile just a little bigger than before. Then his hand went limp again and his smile melted away. But I never let go of his hand.

"Natsu... Just don't leave yet... The guild still needs you... I still need you. Who will stop me if I'm about to do something stupid again?" I asked him even though I knew he wouldn't hear me.

–

We finally reached Magnolia. I checked Natsu's pulse. It was faint, but it was still there. I knew that I needed to hurry. I put Natsu on my back and I made my way towards the guild. This time, his body grew colder. His heart was giving out. Maybe because of the heat? I didn't know.

"Just hang on a little while longer! Don't you die on me, Natsu!"

–

Erza, Lucy and Happy had already returned from their mission and were shocked to see me carrying an unconscious Natsu on my back.

"Natsu!" They shouted and ran to us. I felt so relieved. I had finally reached the guild. Now everything would be okay again, right?

My feet gave out on me but I managed to keep my upper body straight.

Soon the weight was lifted of my shoulders. Natsu's body was no longer resting against my back.

"Jet! You're the fastest runner! Go and get Porlyusica! Fast!" Makarov shouted and soon I could feel a breeze brush past me. I didn't know how long I stayed in that spot, but Makarov then came to me and rested his hand on my shoulder. "You did great." He said. Something inside me clicked and I let myself fall into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

I didn't know how long I was out for, but I woke up on a sofa in the room behind the stage. Someone had put a blanket on me. I rose up and out of the corner of my eye I saw someone sitting on a chair and turned my head and saw the familiar scarlet-haired woman.

"Erza.." I said. She had her arms crossed.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine...What just happened?" I held my head and tried to remember. Pictures of Natsu in terrible pain came into my head but the rest was fuzzy.

"You carried Natsu in the guild. After that you blacked out." I remembered carrying Natsu from the station and how his body grew colder by the minute.

"How is he? Will he be alright?" I almost shouted and jumped of the sofa. Erza didn't answer me and kept her cool like always.

"Erza! Tell me!" I shouted. She looked away from me.

"Porlyusica and Makarov are doing the best they can." She said. I let my hands that had curled into balls fall down. With those two it would be alright.

"But Gray-" Erza started again and stared me straight into my eyes.

"He is in critical condition. It's not sure if he'll last tonight." She kept her cool, which made me angry.

I grabbed her collar.

"Why are you that calm! Doesn't he mean anything to you! Are you just letting him die!" I shouted. Something inside her snapped too. She shot up and threw my hands away.

"Of course I care! He's a part of this guild- this family! I owe him my whole life! And it makes me so angry that I can't do anything to him!" Her hands were shaking and the tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I would do anything, Gray! ANYTHING! As long as he could live...!" She said and her head fell down. The tears fell from her eyes and made a sound when they hit the wooden floor.

She was shaking. I was shaking. I turned away from her. I was frustrated.

I could still feel the sensation of Natsu's warm hand on my head and his words that could have been his last could still be heard: _"Gray...I definitely won't die..."_

I hit the wall with my fist.

"DAMN IT ALL!" I shouted on top of my lungs. Right now I didn't care if someone heard. This feeling was just too much to take.

–

As I sat waiting for even a tiniest piece of information about Natsu's condition in the hallway leading to the infirmary I found myself remembering a conversation between me and Natsu. I wanted to shake away the words he said that night, but a part of me couldn't.

_-Flashback-_

_The big festival was finally coming to an end as people had either returned home or passed out from drinking too much inside the main hall of the guild. I had taken a few drinks, but I wasn't drunk. The guild slowly died of loud shouts and laughter and then there was only snoring left. But I didn't feel like going home despite everyone being asleep._

_So I decided to go out to breathe some fresh air on the roof. And like I had partly been expecting, the sky was beautiful. There were no clouds in the dark sky so the stars could be seen clearly. The moon was almost full and it was so bright that I could see everything clearly._

_Then, to my big surprise, I saw a figure sitting on the roof, watching the stars. I recognized the figure as Natsu and I slowly approached him. He didn't turn to look at me so I sat beside him._

_I glanced at him and saw that he looked different. His expression was quite normal, but his eyes... He looked very distant._

_I felt like I shouldn't say anything. Or maybe I felt like my words wouldn't reach him? _

_Either way, I stayed silent and turned my gaze back to the starry sky._

"_Hey Gray..." Natsu started silently, almost like a whisper, which was unusual._

"_Yeah?" I asked a bit more loudly, but not as loudly as I would usually speak._

"_...No...forget about it..." He then said and he shook his head slowly. _

_I felt like the distance between us wasn't as big as earlier so I decided to pry a bit. _

"_No, tell me." I said._

"_It's just..." He lifted his shoulders and let them fall down again while giving a huff. He seemed a bit uncomfortable about telling me something but I waited patiently._

"_I was just wondering... If I would die-"_

"_No, we're not talking about this." I interrupted him sternly. I didn't want to have this conversation at all. _

"_Just listen." He said and finally, looked directly at me. His eyes shined in the bright light of the moon and he looked so different from usual that I fell silent again. His look softened a bit and he looked back into the starry sky._

"_It's not like I want to die. But we've been in tough situations before and some day I might not be able to win anymore."_

_I felt like something inside me would've twisted uncomfortably. I couldn't help it when a picture of an unconscious Natsu laying on ground, bloody and in tatters, waiting for death came to my head. _

"_And Gray, if that day would come before your death, I want you to take care of everyone in my place, okay?" He looked at me again. His eyes were pleading. It made me feel like he was going somewhere. "Make sure they will smile every single day and that they will never lose hope-!"By every word, his look got more and more desperate._

"_Natsu!" I interrupted him. I saw that his eyes were watery. He was about to cry. He noticed this and looked away from me._

"_Either you are really drunk or then there is something you're not telling me. This isn't like you..." I said. Natsu then turned to look at me and gave a wide smile._

"_Maybe you're right."_

"_So you're not telling me some-"_

"_I think I might really be a bit drunk." He interrupted me and gave a laugh. I didn't really buy his act but I didn't get a chance to talk about it as he began to walk away.  
>"I think I'll go back home to get some sleep!" He said happily and walked away. Then he stopped.<em>

"_And about what I just said... Just... forget about it, okay?" He said in a serious tone again._

_I decided to leave the matter be. But I didn't forget about it._

_-Flashback end-_

No matter if I wanted or not, the conversation was playing in my head over and over again.

"_If I would die... Take care of everyone..." _His words sounded like he was right beside me again.

I glanced back at Erza, who was sitting on the chair and holding her head with her hands. I wasn't sure if she was crying anymore.

"_...Make sure they will smile every single day...!" _His words echoed inside my mind.

I got up and walked to Erza. I wasn't sure what to say, but I needed to cheer her up. Something inside me was pushing me to do something.

"Erza." I said but she didn't look up.

"Don't give up hope. This is Natsu we're talking about. He's strong. He won't lose to this." I said and tried to give a smile. It was hard, since I hadn't smiled for a while. But my words reached her. She looked up and seemed to understand me. Even though it was so small that it barely was there, she smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

We waited and waited. But the door to the infirmary wasn't opening. Nothing could be heard from inside, so we had no idea what was going on. Happy and Lucy were there too, and they sat silently though they were clearly sad and frustrated by the fact that they couldn't help Natsu in any way.

We waited. And waited.

And after a few hours the door opened.

Without thinking, we shot up to hear the news.

Master came out from the infirmary and had a look on his face that told us that he didn't want to tell us what was happening.

"Master.. Please. Tell us." Erza asked. Master gave a tired sigh.

"This night will be critical. We won't be able to help him any more than we have. It's all up to him now." I gulped.

"C-can we see him?" I asked and thought the answer to be 'no' since his condition was so bad.

"Yes. It's better if you encourage him, even though I'm not sure if he'll hear it. He needs all the support he can get."

We rushed inside and saw Porlyusica stand next to the last bed in the room. The light from the sunset was beautiful. It made the dark wooden floor look even more shiny than usual. Everything was colored orange and the scene was almost like a painting. We approached the bed silently so that we wouldn't disturb the peace in the room.

Natsu was unconscious on the bed but he looked better than earlier. I knew that Master and Porlyusica had done their best to make his condition even slightly better. His face was calm and it was no longer covered in a layer of sweat. I wondered if I had ever seen him look so calm before. It was almost like... he had already...

I tried to get the thought out of my head. '_He's alive. He's right there, breathing. What am I thinking... Seriously...'_

I turned to look at the beautiful sunset. It reminded me of Natsu's flames. They were strong. But still somehow gentle.

But now... The sun was setting. I just hoped that Natsu's light wouldn't go out today. I hoped that I could still see many more sunsets with him and he could boast about his flames being brighter than the sun.

I sat beside him on a chair and Erza and Lucy sat on the other side of the bed. Happy was hovering in the air sadly.

"Natsu..." He whimpered.

I suddenly felt like Natsu was slipping away from us. The thought scared me. So I took his hand in mine to make sure he was still there.

"Don't you dare go anywhere without our permission." I said.

Erza was a bit surprised by my action but soon took Natsu's other hand in hers.

"That's right. You still have many things to do." Lucy put a hand on Erza's and Natsu's hand.

"You have to stay here to protect us, you hear?" She said and tried to keep her tears away even though her voice was wavering.

Happy flew to touch the three hands too.  
>"We still got to find Igneel!" Happy said with tears running down his cheeks.<p>

"Natsu, can you hear their voices? If you can, come back. It's too early for you to go." Master then said from behind us.

"Natsu."

"Natsu!" We kept calling his name for hours and told him how we still needed him. It was all we could do. And I swore that I wouldn't leave from his side until he woke up.

-Natsu's POV-

I knew that I wasn't awake. Why else would it be so dark, even though my eyes were open?

I tried to look around but I couldn't see anything.

"Hello! Is anyone there?" I shouted but only my own voice echoed in the space.

Then, a bright light was coming towards me at great speed.

"What is that?" I shouted and braced myself for an impact. But nothing happened. I had closed my eyes, but now I opened then again.

It was no longer dark.

I was on a graveyard. I recognized it as the one in Magnolia and I wondered why I was there. I walked around but there was no one in there.

Then I heard someone speaking.

I walked towards the voice and saw a lot of people, all dressed in black.

They were before a grave. I recognized the people. They were all from the guild. Master was speaking. His voice was sad and heavy. The whole scene was sad. Even the sky was covered in dark clouds and I knew that it would start raining soon.

"Whose funeral is this...?" I asked silently, mostly to myself because I didn't want to interrupt.

I went just a little closer that I could see the name on the gravestone. When I read it my heart skipped a beat. I read it again. And again.

"No, no, no! That can't be!" I shouted to myself. It was my name! My grave!

I looked at my hands.

"I'm dead?" Then I looked up again.

"No way. I'm here. I'm not dead." I tried to reassure myself and ran towards everyone.

"I'm not dead! I'm here!" I said and ran before them. But no one heard me.

"I'm right here!" I desperately shouted. But no one moved. Their tears fell to the ground. Their pained expressions were too much. I fell to my knees.

"Look at me... I'm right here... Damn it...!" I hit the ground. But it made no sound. I looked at my hands. They were getting transparent.

"No...NO! I don't want to disappear! NO!" I shouted panicked. I saw four familiar faces in the crowd.

"Lucy, Happy, Erza, Gray! You can see me right?" But as silent tears fell from their eyes I knew that I could no longer deceive myself. I was dead.

I covered my ears and shut my eyes tightly. And I shouted as loudly as I could.

Then the scene was gone again and I was in the darkness again. I felt empty. I just wanted to disappear already.

Then I heard words.

"_In this moment of darkness we close our eyes and cover our ears. Hide ourselves from the truth, the pain._

_Do open your eyes, reach out your hands. Even if it's hard to see in this dark world, you should now stand." _

I wondered what the voice was, but I stood.

"_Open your eyes, reach out your hands. Do you see that tiny light?_

_It's still far, far away._

_Do start walking."_

My head was all fuzzy and weird. It was like there was many sounds in there. I wanted them to be silent. I wanted to sleep. I was tired.

But I found myself walking even though my body was shouting me to stop.

"_The black chains of pain are now breaking away._

_Do walk, never stray from path, even though its clouded with fear, reach out far, far away."_

The voices got louder by every step. It hurt my ears. My feet hurt. It felt like I was walking on sharp nails. But still I went forward. I felt like I had to go somewhere.

"_Do open your eyes, reach out your hands. Have you reached it?_

_No longer are you walking, you run."_

Finally I could hear what the voices were saying. They were calling my name.

"I have to go!" I shouted and ran despite the pain.

"_That darkness, never-ending no longer binds. _

_Chains have broken, light is strong._

_No longer do you hide in fear, covering yourself from the pain._

_For now do you see, that blue sky again."_

And like the voice said, I reached the light and saw a beautiful blue sky.

"_Winds will blow life in you. Life, let it live in you again."_

A strong gust of wind almost made me fall. But it went inside me. And I breathed. It felt like I had been dead all this time. I saw everything.

"_What do you see?_

_You're not alone."_

Someone was before me. Then another figure came. Then another. And one small one.  
>"Who are you?" I asked. They smiled.<p>

"_The road ahead no longer divides._

_The hands once cool, now connect with warmth."_

They took my hands and started running. They were taking me somewhere. My heart started beating fast. I was excited. The road was ours, not only mine alone. I felt warm. I smiled.

"I hope this feeling will never go away."

"_And to the end of days, that warmth is never gone again."_

"Natsu!" The four figures said and turned to look at me. A blue cat, a blonde girl, a scarlet-haired girl and a raven-haired boy. Yes. I was home again.


	5. Chapter 5

I opened my eyes. The nightmare was over.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus my vision. Bright light covered the whole room. It was silent. I turned to look to my right, where I saw three familiar figures, sleeping soundly. I smiled. I could feel them holding my hand just like in my dream. Then I looked to my left and saw Gray sleeping while holding my hand. I squeezed my hands a bit so I could feel their hands better. '_I'm alive. I'm alive.' _I thought over and over again. I felt tired, but I didn't want to sleep. Happiness was swelling in my chest.

"...Natsu...?" A voice asked. I looked to my left a saw Gray awake. He shot up in surprise.

"You're.. you're..." He couldn't say anything else. I gave a smile. I was too tired to speak. He turned away from me and I could hear him sniffing. Then I saw him wipe away a few tears.

"You idiot.. Making me worried.." He mumbled. I smiled even more than before.

I could hear someone shift and saw Lucy, Erza and Happy waking up.

"Natsu...?" A tiny voice asked and I looked at my blue friend who looked at me in disbelief. Then he started to cry and jumped to hug me. "Natsuu~!" He cried and hugged me. I lifted my hand to pat his head while he wailed to my chest.

"Natsu... You're... I was so-...!" Lucy tried to get her words out but she could only manage words that made no sense at all. Then she started to cry and held my hand tightly.

"We almost lost you. Thank you for coming back." Erza said and smiled gently. I smiled back at her.

"Welcome home, Natsu!" An old voice said and I saw Master grinning beside the bed. In the corner of his eye, there was a teardrop.

"I'm back!" I answered even though my voice was dry. I couldn't help it when a few tears rolled down my cheeks. But no one teased me for it. Just this one time, it was okay to cry.

-End-


	6. Author note on sequel

**Hello dear Fever-readers!  
>I'm glad to inform you that I have just published Fever Sequel (if you haven't already noticed this)!<br>If you enjoyed this story I'm quite sure that you might find the sequel interesting.  
>WARNING: The story will contain eventual GrayNatsu relationship, even though it will stay very light.  
>So I hope you will check it out!<br>**

**Oh and also check my profile, there are many story ideas listed there and you can vote for the best idea. It would really help me a lot.  
>And if you aren't yet- follow me so you can get a message for every time I publish something new.<br>Thank you beforehand, Chao!**


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